Contents

Get in

Porlamar is about a 30 minute drive from Margarita's Santiago Marino International Airport, via a fast highway.

Get around

Car rental

Car rentals are available in Porlamar as well as in other parts of the island including at the airport and Playa El Yaque. Ensure that you thoroughly check the credentials of any rental agencies and ensure that they are licensed, have readily accessible office and an office contact number. Also ensure that you fully check the vehicle for any pre-existing damage including all lower body panels, the roof, and all window glass, before you sign the contract with any rental provider.

See

Do

Buy

The principal commercial sectors are the Boulevards Gomez and Guevara and Avenida Santiago Mariño and Avenida 4 de Mayo in Porlamar and Calle La Marina in Juangriego.

If you like shopping, you might be happy to know that Margarita is a 'free port': you don't pay the Venezuela value added tax there. That is one reason why Venezuelans from the mainland like to go there - it's not only a beach destination for them but also a superb shopping place. Due to the tourism, Porlamar is full of shops and stores. Clothing is especially easy to find. You can choose from elegant to the casual and cheap.

The island also has several shopping malls, for example Jumbo in the very center of Porlamar, Centro Comercial AB towards Pampatar, Centro Comercial La Redoma, Sigo just west of Porlamar, and a recently built huge and elegant mall Sambil.

In the largest supermarkets Central Madeirense (CM), Sigo Supermarket, or UniCasa you will find large selections, comfortable grocery shopping, good quality fruits and vegetables, deli sections and freshly baked bread. There are also lots and lots of smaller supermarkets distributed throughout the districts of Polamar.

Learn

Learn Spanish, or pick up the first words necessary to get around while on the island.

Academia Peter, [1]. Owned and run by the teachers. You can do a tandem language course, teaching English or German in the time you take a Spanish course. On their site you'll find some spoken examples of Spanish.

Eat

Budget

Mid-range

Splurge

Splurge

La Casa de la Langosta (Lobster House), Avenida 4 de Mayo, ☎+58 295 264 3238, [2]. Serving their specialty, lobster for the last 19 years in Porlamar. Choose from lobster served natural, thermidor, with mushrooms, four cheese, criolla style, natural medallions, on ice, salad, or vinaigrette. Also available is a full range of other fresh seafood along with chicken, beef, lamb and pork dishes.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Margarita Island Condos, Playa el Angel (outside of Pampatar and to the north east of Porlamar), ☎+58 295 772 8600 or +58 416 398 9034, 9AM. - 8PM (reservations@margaritaislandcondos.com), [3]. The condos are fully equipped, tidy and clean but the decor and furnishings may be a little dated. They are offered by the day, week or month. The condo's are available in several popular locations on the island and some have beach or sea views.